Tastings 2026

What is Tastings?

Tastings is a showcase of original short works in the Guild Theatre, in Week 4 of Semester Two of 2026.

A biennial event, Tastings celebrates student creativity across all forms of theatre and performance. Hosted by the UMSU Creative Arts Department with support from Union House Theatre, Tastings provides a place for students to develop and test new performance ideas in a supportive environment with like-minded peers.  

The 2026 Tastings theme is Classic — but don’t be fooled, this isn’t about playing it safe.

This year, Tastings is returning to its roots: a vibrant showcase of student performing arts in all its forms. Think of it as a “taste test” of bite size creativity where classic is just the starting point.

What does Classic mean to you? That’s where things get interesting.

You might dive into the rich traditions of your culture, rework a piece of classic theatre into something bold and unexpected, or remix a familiar story into a completely new form. Maybe your inspiration comes from timeless literature, iconic pop hits, or legendary artworks. Or maybe you take the idea of “classic” and flip it on its head entirely.

Whether you honour tradition, reinvent it, or gently (or not-so-gently) disrupt it — we want to see your take.

Go classic. Or don’t. Just make it yours.

The styles of performance that might be included in Tastings may include: contemporary theatre, performance poetry, a text-based play, movement-based performance, experimental theatre, clowning, dance of any genre, stand-up comedy, puppetry, cabaret / song or musical and more.

Performances are up to ten minutes in duration and can be a complete work or an excerpt of an idea.

To apply, you can be at any step of your creative journey – the beginning, or with something more fully formed.

A mentoring and workshop program will be offered to support students who are successful in their application.

Find the EOI form HERE.

Acknowledgement